Towers of Gold Are Still Too Little
by LNHWrites
Summary: Reboot AU - When Alexis leaves at the start of winter break, Fallon is about to turn sixteen and thinks things are going really well. Clearly they're not. And when her and Steven's behavior leads Blake to send them off to boarding school, Fallon isn't sure what to expect, but certainly not that they'll find a home away from home. (ft. Liam/Fallon, Monica, Jeff, Steven and Sam)
1. 1: I Know That You Don't Want Me Here

**Hello! For those of you who're reading my other Dynasty fic, don't worry! I'm still writing that one. But I had a thought the other day that was so funny and interesting to me that I had to write it anyways. May not be everyone's cup of tea compared to the other one, since it's an AU set back when Fallon was in high school, so her personality won't be as, well, set in stone or strong as it is during the timeline of the show. But I'm going to try and stay true to what we know about her, and sort of work backwards. I'm also changing Steven&Fallon's age gap, taking wild guesses at details we haven't been given, and altering timelines slightly for dramatic effect here, so don't take too much of the timing in this seriously. We're going full-blown AU on this one, friends!**

**So if you're interested, still, hi! Also, please bear with as I figure out where this little plot idea of mine is heading, haha!**

* * *

The first day of winter break for their Sophomore year had arrived, and Fallon was beyond excited. The holidays meant visiting Dad at work to learn about the company, and skiing with her friends using family money. And Christmas, of course. The best time of year all around. Not to mention the fact that her sixteenth birthday was mere weeks away, and before she had to even go back to school! As far as she was concerned, there was nothing that sounded more promising. She slid into the backseat of the family car with Monica and Jeff, only half acknowledging the new driver because the three of them were already deep in conversation about their plans.

Fallon leaned forward, dropping her book bag in the floorboard of the front seat so she could cross one knee over the other and face her friends. As they chatted away, the front door opened so Steven could climb in.

"Seriously, Fallon?" He turned his head to frown at her, gesturing to the bag that was taking up his foot space.

"You get to ride shotgun, Steven. Don't complain. After we drop these two off, you can put it back here."

He rolled his eyes but sat down anyway, dropping his bag on top of hers and shutting the door. Then he clicked his seatbelt on and turned to the driver. "Sorry I'm late, Michael."

"That's fine, Mr. Carrington," the young man responded. He was a student at a local university – a football player looking to make some money during the breaks in hopes that he would always have a solid backup job with this rich family that, frankly, overpaid him. Not that he minded taking money from people like Fallon and her parents. He almost felt bad for Steven, though, considering the brother was the nice one of the bunch.

So they headed off through the streets of Atlanta, heading for the Colby's estate, and Fallon talked almost the entire way there. The Colbys didn't seem to mind, though, as the trio laughed and shared mutual excitement for what the time off had in store for them. When they made it to the Colby house, which was like a fake miniature in comparison to the ridiculous, overly-extreme grandeur of the Carrington manor, Monica and Jeff got out, and Steven didn't even bother moving his bag to the back seat.

Instead, Fallon told Steven that he was welcome to join them for their plans, even though he hadn't bothered speaking up when she mentioned they should go somewhere.

"Didn't realize you were talking to me," Steven replied, shrugging good-naturedly.

Fallon just frowned, sinking back into her seat and gazing out the window for a moment before checking her phone and laughing softly at whatever she saw there.

The rest of the ride home was quiet, and even if Fallon wasn't enjoying the views, Steven and Michael were. They were also enjoying the quiet, if they were being honest. The turned at the gate, driving up to the manor so Michael could drop the siblings off at the front door. As soon as they parked, Fallon opened her door and made her way inside, leaving Steven to carry both bags. He and Michael shared a conspiratorial look before Steven pushed his own door ajar.

Fallon was reaching for the front door, but it flew open in her face, making her jump back with a shocked gasp. "Mom!" Fallon chided, glaring at Alexis as she walked through the door. "What are you doing?"

Alexis stopped short at the sight of her children and the car. Even Michael got out of the car at the sound of Fallon's reaction. At first, Alexis just stared at all of them. But then Fallon's gaze lowered to her mother's collection of bags, being brought out by Anders' team of staff.

"Mom?" Steven echoed, setting down his and Fallon's school bags in favor of opening his hands in confusion. "Nobody told us to pack for a vacation. Where are we going?"

"Nowhere," she replied, shaking her head.

Blake's voice carried through the entry hall towards them as he approached in a rage. "_Alexis!_" He stormed out, joining the menagerie of people outside and only increasing Alexis's distress. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Kids, go inside," Alexis told them, somehow expecting them to do as she asked despite the circumstances. Obviously they didn't. Michael looked ready to do so, though. Alexis turned to him in question. "Open the trunk, would you?"

His eyes widened slightly but he reached inside the car door to hit the button that would pop the trunk.

"Mom," Fallon continued, "what's going on? Where are you going?" The brunette was starting to get worried, thinking maybe someone on Alexis's side of the family had died, or her mother was in trouble somehow.

Alexis waved a hand and the staff began picking her bags back up, transferring them to the trunk and towards the back seat.

In her shock and panic, Fallon rushed forward to try and block the bags. "Stop! Mom, you can't go."

"I have to," Alexis countered, gesturing for Fallon to move aside.

Of course, the brunette did no such thing. Instead, she crossed her arms like she'd seen her father do when he wanted Alexis to listen to him. "When will you be back?"

Alexis narrowed her eyes sharply. "I don't know, Fallon. Now move aside."

"_Will_ you be back?" Fallon waited, but Alexis didn't have a response for that, apparently. Despite herself, she felt her eyes water. "What did we do?" It came out as a whisper, and made Alexis step forward, taking hold of Fallon firmly by her upper arms.

"Nothing."

Using the hold she now had on her daughter, Alexis drew Fallon away from the car, depositing her next to Steven, whose cheek she brushed gently with her hand before backing away and climbing into the car. Over the roof of the sedan, Fallon stared at Michael imploringly. _Don't take her. _He just shook his head in apology, clearly stating that he didn't have a choice.

Deciding she had one last shot before her mother closed that door and left, Fallon shouted at her, pulling at Steven's hands as they tried to restrain her. "I'll be right here until you come back! You really want to make your daughter, your _baby_, stand outside waiting for you?"

"Don't," Alexis warned her, deeply serious. "Don't, Fallon."

Fallon blinked rapidly, working to control herself – control her breathing – and didn't even feel the way Steven pulled her tighter to his side. Was he not as surprised as her? She glanced his way, but he was just staring at the car. Watching as Alexis slammed the door, Michael got in, and the car started. Fallon turned her chin again, staring after the car as it pulled away.

Blake turned and stormed back inside, but the Carrington children didn't move. Not for a while, anyway. Determined to believe that her mother wouldn't just leave her without an explanation, Fallon stayed even after Steven turned to wander inside. When he returned with a tissue, she just frowned.

"Your mascara," he explained, prompting her to snatch it up and dab under her eyes. "C'mon, sis. She'll be back. Anders has dinner ready, so-"

"If she comes back, I have to be here. I told her I would be."

"Fallon, if she turns around, Culhane will tell us. Anders texted him. You can come back out, okay? She wouldn't want you to skip dinner. Besides, you've been standing here over an hour. Your legs don't hurt?"

"Imagine if I were wearing heels," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Exactly. Come inside."

Reluctant, but tired and a little cold despite the admittedly temperate Atlanta weather that winter, Fallon let him lead her inside.

Michael returned the car that night, and when Fallon demanded to check it, every trace of her mother was gone.

* * *

Three days later, Fallon was moping in front of the TV when Monica texted her to ask about when they were leaving for the ski trip. Taking a minute, Fallon knew that this was the moment she would have to decide how others would see her in the wake of her mother's apparent abandonment. Everyone seemed to react to her as Monica did, taking their cues and not asking questions unless she'd been particularly conceited towards them – not that Fallon would ever admit to something like that, of course.

It didn't take long for her to decide that she didn't want the Colbys to know. They'd lost their father a year before, but he had been taken from them, and their mother had been abusive, so her leaving was a good thing, right? Alexis _chose_ to leave them, and so Fallon came to the conclusion that in some ways, her friends wouldn't understand. It wasn't the same. And believe it or not, she felt bad about the idea of comparing things when she had the option to simply ignore it.

That's what Alexis would've done, right? Certainly not. All the better, Fallon decided.

So she shot back a simple, _Tonight?_

And then got to packing, assuming that they would hop to it as well. Steven must've heard her moving things around – or, perhaps, the crash of her suitcase as she tugged it down from the top of her closet and it leapt off the shelf.

"What are you up to?" He asked, standing in the doorway.

Fallon looked over her shoulder, the teary-eyed girl gone and replaced with someone cold and empty. "You think just because Mom decided to bail on us, that I'll bail on Monica and Jeff? We're going skiing, as planned. You want to come or not?"

Steven shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "No, I... I should stick around for Dad."

She shook hers in return, tutting at him. "Dad hasn't left his office since after dinner on Friday. You can try, but it isn't like he's ever put us above his work. Remember my recital in elementary school? He got stuck in traffic on the way home?"

"And got mad that he lost a deal with the Falcons, I know. But when he does finally come out of that room, you won't be here. And he'll need somebody."

"Don't do this to yourself, Steven. You and Daddy don't see anything alike and you know it." Fallon sighed. "Look, I'm not saying it's me versus you and not both of us, for him. But I don't want to come home to you two fighting. Please."

"I'll try. But there aren't a lot of promises in this house that get kept."

That was fair. Fallon shrugged a little sadly and went back to packing, picking up her phone to confirm that Monica and Jeff were on board. A surprising smile lit up her face when she saw that they were, and perhaps Steven was pleased to see it, or perhaps he didn't notice, but either way, he started helping her pack.

Less than six hours later, Fallon, Jeff and Monica were checking into a charming ski lodge that her father himself would have probably put up with. She'd picked something nice enough to make the Colbys believe she was feeling normal, but simple enough that she could get lost in make believe. She dodged questions whenever she would zone out, and they seemed more interested in hitting the slopes than in digging into what was wrong with their rich-girl friend.

One such afternoon, Fallon retreated to a window-side chair the lounge to take a call from Steven, frowning at the version of her brother she was hearing. Something was off; he sounded... confused. Different. "Steven?" She urged. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Dad and me, we got in a fight."

"God, Steven, you didn't... What happened?"

He laughed, actually, which made her head tilt sharply to one side. "I can't tell you."

"Steven!"

He chuckled again, but it sounded a bit sadder that time. "I did something I shouldn't have. And dad found out, so I did it more."

"Don't get in too much trouble. I can't drag Monica and Jeff back without them asking questions, you know. And you don't want to start the new semester off in the red." She shrugged, even though he couldn't see it. "So to speak."

"It's fine. Have fun."

"Behave. Just two more days, okay? See you soon."

She hung up, stood, and slipped her phone into a zippered pocket that would keep it safe on the slopes. The clock on the wall said she was supposed to meet Monica and Jeff for lunch in five minutes, so she turned to head towards her suite, only to stop when she came face to face with a guy who looked about her age.

"Sorry," he offered, stepping at the same moment as Fallon, and in the same direction inadvertently. From him, it raised a chuckle, but Fallon wasn't exactly in the mood. She flashed a closed-lipped, brief smile before stepping aside again. He did the same.

"I don't know if this is your way of hitting on a stranger, but I have people I'm supposed to go meet," she told him.

He laughed harder at that, holding up his hands as he stepped back far enough to give her the space to step around him. "Have fun with your... people," he said, watching long enough to see her look back as she headed off.

She ended up being late to meet the Colbys, but just passed over the reasoning. They didn't need to know about Steven, after all. So she said she'd gotten into an argument with some guy who thought a little too much of himself, and knowing Fallon as well as they did, they of course completely bought it.

* * *

When she came home the day before Christmas, her grandpa was there. It was a minor miracle at first, considering he would be enough to distract her father, at least for a while. But Christmas wasn't right at all without Alexis there. It was quiet, even with the forced singing and fake merriment. At least they had a gorgeous Gingerbread house that they could destroy the night after.

Alexis was still gone by New Year's, and by that point, Fallon had really started to give up. A sweet sixteen, which was coming up in mere days for Fallon, sounded infinitely less sweet when that girl's mother had left without explanation. That word Alexis had said was haunting her more and more by the day, though.

What had Fallon done? Nothing. Was it an apology or an explanation? Fallon had been acting out more, spending less time at home – typical teenager things. Steven, who was over halfway done with high school at that point, had always been the calmer one. But after one too many parties and Alexis once again expressing her disapproval, Fallon had thrown a righteous fit the week before, leading to nightly arguments.

Fallon hadn't listened. Her mother had told her to behave, told her to stay home... and Fallon hadn't done any of it. But surely that fight, the ones in the months before... Surely not. Yeah, Steven was perfect and had always been their mother's favorite, but she was the baby of the family. Weren't the youngest kids supposed to get away with more?

The thought didn't fully manifest until the night before her birthday, when Blake announced that Alexis was, in no uncertain terms, not coming back. Not for her party, not at all. She didn't see a point. But she'd sent Fallon a gift – and a strange one, in Fallon's opinion. One that said nothing about their relationship other than just how violent and volatile it was.

She handed it over to Anders immediately, needing no further training beyond what she'd already gotten from her father. And it was a sorry excuse for a reminder of her mother.

She cancelled her party, which was set to take place that weekend, and ignored all the questions that were sent her way. What did it matter, right? She wouldn't see these people again. Not for months, at least. The next morning, her father gifted her Butterscotch, the horse. Which would've been much more exciting if he hadn't gotten her the animal in order to soften the blow of his news:

She and Steven weren't going back to school like normal. His drug use and her decision to go skiing, apparently, along with Alexis's choices, led him to enroll them without warning in a boarding school in New York. No amount of kicking and screaming could change his mind. But he added one more so-called gift to her birthday list. He'd gotten Monica and Jeff in as well, and after talking to them and hearing how interested they were in seeing a new place – despite the obvious pity-paying Blake was doing – Fallon did try to get on board. No pun intended.

_Try_ was the key word, though.

The car pulled up, and she hadn't even begun packing, which was of course unbelievably unlike her. She had spent the afternoon with Butterscotch, after realizing she wouldn't see the beautiful palomino until she came back over a break – not that she had any idea when non-private schools took breaks. Steven had to come in to force her into it, and as they were ushered into the cars with their various bags, ready to head to the airport to meet Monica and Jeff, Fallon turned back to her father, nodding like she could see every part of him.

"You're doing this because of me, aren't you? Because of Mom?"

"Get in the car, Fallon."

Biting down a little too hard on the inside of her cheek, Fallon spun around and got in the car, already planning a way to avoid having to come back home for the summer holidays in June. The car pulled away, just like Alexis's had, and Fallon took a look at the estate for what she thought might be the last time.

Silent though she was, Michael finally spoke up from the front seat. "For what it's worth, Fallon? Happy birthday."

She crossed her arms and stared out the window. "Yeah, whatever."


	2. 2: I Think You Know Me

Monica waited until the plane was wheels up to ask the big question:

"Why are we changing schools, anyway?"

Fallon's jaw tightened and she shrugged, turning her gaze to the window of the Carrington jet. "This school is better, apparently."

They still didn't know, of course. Blake had kept quiet about it, relieving his children of the burden of explaining. But outside of that, Fallon felt that she and Steven had been properly abandoned. And she blamed Blake for that as much as she blamed Alexis, now. As much as she blamed herself.

"Don't lie to them, Fallon," Steven spoke up from the chair furthest to the back. He'd given Fallon and her friends space, and when she whipped around to scowl at him, he was grateful he had. He turned his attention to the Colbys, explaining, "Mom left, and Dad is having a hard time."

"Left, as in... _left_?" Jeff asked, eyes wide.

Monica was staring at Fallon, who had resumed her too-careful observation of the clouds. She found that for the first time, she actually felt bad for Fallon, Carrington name and all. But knowing the other girl as well as she did, Monica knew better than to push the subject.

So when Steven offered a brief, "Yeah," the Colbys fell into mutually confused silence, and no one managed to find another excuse to talk until they landed in New York.

They gathered their carry-on items and headed down the stairs, where various cases of luggage awaited them - the majority sporting a label denoting them as property of the Carringtons. Fallon dropped her sunglasses down over her eyes, having of course chosen a deeply red ensemble to make sure she stood out on their first day at this new nightmare of theirs. But then again, she was a Carrington. There was nothing to fear on that front, she knew.

Still, if she wanted these strangers to either want, fear, or respect her, it didn't hurt to make an entrance. And though she had only just turned sixteen, Fallon certainly knew how to do that.

They climbed into the awaiting cab, Fallon making sure she got a window seat so their arrival would be ideal. If everyone else stepped out first, she could go for the sort of grand entrance of being the last one out. Maybe wait a minute just to make people wonder. Or, she would be the first one out, the obvious difference in her attire setting her apart instantly.

Steven was the last into the cab, as usual, as he stopped to shake hands with the pilot, thanking her.

"Hurry up, Steven!" Fallon called out the window.

Steven passed the pilot an apologetic look, but did as his sister asked and slid into the passenger seat up front, also as usual. So with everyone in, and their luggage packed into the back of their SUV-sized vehicle, the four of them let the driver take them to their new home.

Somehow, Fallon had expected the school to be in the middle of the city - like something out of Gossip Girl, but with dormitories. But instead, they drove further and further away, making it past the end of the subway line, and beyond that along a train track that led into the distance. Fallon had never seen a part of New York that wasn't all skyscrapers and impatient people trying to get around tourists in order to get to work.

Her mood drooped lower and lower the farther they got from the city, until finally they arrived at a building that was almost castle-like in its aesthetic. At least she could get on board with that. She had always been something of a princess, so it was fitting, in some ways. The long driveway was punctuated by a fence, which the driver waited at until it opened for them upon the announcement of their names. And then they headed down the rounded driveway, towards a large entrance space designed for several cars to drop students off at once near the parking lot.

The driver brought them all the way up in front of the door, snagging a spot as soon as it opened. A collection of students were mingling outside, greeting their friends and carrying their single bags of luggage as they returned from winter break. But not the Carringtons and the Colbys. The car was turned off, and Fallon found that she would be the first to get out if Steven didn't beat her to it. So she fluffed her hair, made sure she had nothing out of place, and then unbuckled her seatbelt so she could open the door and step out.

Just as she'd wanted, heads turned to take in the stranger who had just arrived. Fallon stepped out into the snow that was still caked across the ground from the night before, grateful that her sunglasses were interrupting the bounce back from the bright white of that same snowfall. She slung her purse over her arm, letting it dangle from her elbow as she waited for the others to get out, purposefully ignoring the looks she was receiving from her now-fellow students.

By the time Steven and the Colbys had collected their things and joined her, Fallon realized nobody was really watching her anymore. Strange. Perhaps with the sunglasses blocking her face, they didn't recognize her. She led the way inside, quickly moving the shades to the top of her head once they were indoors, and waited for the inevitable reaction.

But it didn't happen.

Nobody stepped forward to introduce themselves, and nobody stared beyond some confused glances when the people walking in were not their classmates. Fallon didn't even get the usual looks of interest that she expected, and it set her on edge.

"Come on, Fallon. We have to check in," Monica told her, pointing towards what looked like the main office. "Get our rooms and stuff."

Just as Monica started to pull her arm back, a blonde girl who looked about their age ran directly into her. "Excuse you," the girl said loudly, looking over the four of them with distaste.

Fallon's hackles raised instantly. She knew this kind of girl, because that's who she'd always been. Who was this chick trying to take her job? No way. If she wanted to maintain her status despite these bizarrely oblivious students, she had to start immediately.

She stepped forward, between the other two girls, and lifted her chin imperiously. "I think you mean excuse _you_. You're the one that walked into Monica."

"Perhaps she shouldn't have been in my way. None of you should."

"I think you're mistaken," Fallon replied with false amusement. "I'm Fallon Carrington, and that's my brother, Steven. And this is—"

"Is that supposed to impress me? An introduction?"

Monica and Fallon exchanged a look of amazement. "All things considered," Fallon snapped, "yes. It should."

A young man came up alongside the blonde, curling an arm around her waist. Fallon recognized him instantly — the guy from the ski lodge. Her eyebrows raised in shock but he wasn't looking at her.

"Hey," he said, tone designed to mediate whatever was going on. "What's wrong?"

Fallon rolled her eyes, but he didn't seem to notice thanks to the blonde's ridiculous attempt at playing innocent. "I was just meeting the new students," the girl claimed.

"By arguing with them?" He countered, much to Fallon's surprise. She was almost pleased by it, but then he looked her way and realized quite visibly that he recognized her. "Hey. Ski lodge, right?"

Fallon felt Monica grasp the back of her jacket in shock, but she just nodded. "Yes. Go figure. If you'll excuse us, we need to check in."

"I'm Jack," he offered anyway, extending a hand to her.

Fallon glanced at his seeming girlfriend before taking it with a determination to make him want to befriend her even if this blonde girl didn't. "Fallon Carrington."

There it was. The reaction she'd been waiting for. He knew her name, for whatever reason, and was taken aback by it. She didn't know if that was good or bad, but at least someone knew who she was.

"This is Steven, my brother, and Monica and Jeff Colby."

They offered brief greetings and waves, but Steven was obviously ready to end this interaction. "Fallon, we have to go."

Purposefully skipping over the question of what Jack's girlfriend was named, Fallon passed him a smile before turning and following Steven away. "See you around, Jack," she called over her shoulder.

Monica took hold of Fallon's arm in an attempt at keeping the other girl from saying anything else and making even more of an enemy out of their new classmate. Fallon smirked, though, hearing how Jack was being chided as they walked away. And as they turned into the administrative office, she glanced back and saw that he wasn't looking at his girlfriend, but instead was watching them go with confusion.

Mercifully, both sets of teens were assigned shared dormitories. As much as Fallon would've wanted her own room, at least she was able to share with Monica. And at least Steven had Jeff to keep an eye on him. Fallon made a mental note to warn him about Steven's propensity for making bad decisions when he was upset, though she wasn't sure if that would really be a good idea. Would Jeff help or hinder him? Perhaps she could ask Monica about it before going through with it, though she didn't want to embarrass her brother. He was the only Carrington that she felt like she still had in her corner.

Probably, anyway.

The girls were led down one hallway, the boys taken the other direction, and given a brief tour of the different places between the entry hall and their dormitories. Their door had a sign with their names printed on them, which Fallon found she was grateful for in this new, rather large and maze-like setting. The other rooms did, too, but Fallon ignored the names since she couldn't yet attach them to faces.

Once they were finally left alone, the girls started unpacking the clothes that needed to be hung up, and while Monica was shocked by their shared walk-in closet, Fallon was irked that they had to share one at all.

"So, they don't know who you are..." Monica started casually, unsure what Fallon's reaction would be. She didn't really expect the severity of the response, but she probably should have.

"Seriously! Who even are these people?" Fallon wandered out to pick up more clothes, muttering the whole way. Monica only caught every other word or so, which came out like, "Oblivious – Uncultured – Ridiculous..."

Finally, Monica stood in the doorway, blocking Fallon's path to interrupt her. "We aren't in Atlanta now, Fallon. We aren't even in Georgia. Why do you expect the whole country to know about the Carringtons when your family doesn't doesn't have the same influence elsewhere?"

"Well, Jack knew who I was."

"How do you know? Maybe he was just embarrassed about flirting with you at the lodge when he's clearly seeing her."

Fallon shrugged, choosing not to change her story. For all she knew, their interaction could've been his sorry attempt at doing just that. "I could tell. He reacted to my name, not just the fact that he'd seen me before. His horrible girlfriend sure didn't, though."

Monica dropped onto the bed they'd decided was hers, crossing her arms. "She's seriously the worst."

For a few moments, Fallon's obvious need to attention and acceptance fell somewhat to the wayside in favor of her disapproval of the other girl. "Just because we're new, that gives her no right. Especially when it comes to you."

Raising an eyebrow, Monica tilted her head at the other girl. "What do you mean?"

Fallon became guarded, suddenly – though more reserved than aggressive, like she usually went for. "...It's one thing for people to go after me or Steven. We have the family name, the resources, the money. You and Jeff don't, as much. Besides having me around, of course," she flashed a self-indulgent smile, but it faded quickly. "You know I'm a firm believer in being proud of what I have. But that girl is clearly just petty. If she were at least a little clever about it, then maybe we'd have something to worry about."

"You sure seem stressed about someone we don't need to worry about," Monica teased, smiling at the fact that Fallon was at least trying to be supportive. Despite the girl's temperament, she had some level of loyalty to her, sometimes. Monica had to wonder, though, if the reaction and the effort had to do with the treatment Fallon and Steven had received as of late.

"Hardly. I'm just... annoyed," Fallon claimed, resuming the organization of their closet.

Monica let out a quiet, "mmhmm," but joined her.

A little over an hour later, a knock at their door caught the girls' attention, and when they answered it, a woman they'd seen in the administrative office was standing there, ready to show them how to get to the dining hall for dinner. Determined to make a solid impression despite that blonde girl's need to put them down, Fallon and Monica followed her with their chins held high, ready to assess the rest of their classmates.


	3. 3: A Chair is Still a Chair

Monica and Fallon followed the woman into the dining hall area, finding themselves amongst several large, round tables that had varying numbers of seats around them. It looked more like a public school cafeteria than Fallon had expected, but on the other hand, it allowed for the students to limit their mealtime interactions to people of their choice, it seemed. So that wasn't so bad. And the food looked decent based upon the plates they passed on the way to the counter.

It was there that they learned meals were made to order, and Fallon was much happier about that, rattling off her go-to dinner, bacon and all. When she and Monica had collected meals and turned around, Jeff and Steven waved to get their attention from across the room. The girls started off towards them, and Fallon made sure to keep her chin high as they walked, as if daring someone to stop her and ask who she was.

No one did. But she did notice that they were aiming straight past the table where Jack was sitting with his friends. Monica must not have noticed Fallon stopping behind her, because she kept going as the Carrington girl slowed to stand right next to Jack, blocking the empty chair that was likely meant for his girlfriend.

"Hey," she greeted with an easy confidence. He looked up in surprise and she put on her most charming smile. "What year are you in?"

"Uhh- Sophomore," he replied, glancing past Fallon at what she could only assume was an approaching blonde. When he looked back at Fallon again, he was still confused.

"Oh, me and the Colbys, too!" Fallon said, her smile widening. "I guess I'll see you in class, then."

She spared a brief smile for his friends before walking past, and was thrilled to overhear the boys asking who she was, while Jack's girlfriend asked what on Earth he was doing talking to _that girl_. When she got to the table, Steven was the first to shoot her a look and tell her to at least attempt to make friends instead of enemies on their first day.

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, Fallon and Monica were picking out their outfits and putting on their makeup. Fallon dropped her hair free from the rollers she'd put in just after she woke, and after a bit of a fluff, she turned to pick up their map and class schedule. As tired as Fallon was after her late-night wandering thoughts, she was determined to find herself a place in this new school. If she had to go home during summers – or, worse, if things became even more messed up by then – Fallon needed somewhere she felt sure of herself. She needed a place where she felt, if not safe, at least successful. And her home was certainly not that place. Not anymore.

Fallon started to pull on a pair of short heels, but Monica reached out to stop her. "Most of our classes are on different floors. You're gonna regret that."

With a heavy sigh, Fallon put the heels back and retrieved a pair of flats with a small wedge, partly out of protest for the concept of having to climb and descend stairs all day. Although, she used with mild amusement, she'd at least get some exercise along the way. It was certainly going to be less tiring than yoga, which Monica preferred.

The girls collected their bags, books, and the school map, and headed out into the new world of classes at their new school.

Their first class in the mornings, apparently, was Math – which, according to Monica, was a special form of torture. Fallon couldn't disagree more. She didn't struggle with the subject like many of her former classmates had, but almost solely because she'd had to sit through so many meetings about earnings and losses. Or, more accurately, managed to find a way to be involved in them when she wasn't really supposed to be. She knew that of all subjects, things like History counted less to her than something to do with actual numbers that would affect her everyday life.

To be fair, she planned on having a company with an accounting team, but that didn't mean she didn't need to understand everything that was happening within that company.

She'd planned on that company being Carrington Atlantic, of course, but that didn't seem quite as set in stone as it used to.

They made it up to the third floor just in time for Fallon to catch sight of Jeff and Jack who were waiting outside the classroom door and casually conversing. Fallon caught Monica's arm to hold her back, stopping a ways down.

"What?" Monica asked, turning to face her friend.

"Jack's over there," Fallon explained.

"Yeah, I saw that. So?"

Fallon was smiling, but her eyes widened pointedly. "So, he's cute, and his girlfriend is terrible."

Monica lifted an eyebrow, shifting her weight to drop a hand on one hip. "You're something else."

"What, you want her to be all proud and awful to us forever?"

"I never thought of you as the boyfriend-stealing type," Monica replied, deadpan.

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Fallon rejected that notion. "I don't care about stealing him. The last thing I'm worried about is dealing with some person who needs my attention when I don't feel like it." That earned her a second eyebrow lift in question, and Fallon sighed. "I just want to take her down a peg. If he's interested and dumps her, great. If she gets jealous and stops trusting him, that's fine, too."

"Or you could try making friends instead of enemies for once, like Steven said," Monica suggested, turning and walking over to join the others before Fallon could stop her.

Confused by her friend's disapproving reaction, Fallon chose not to follow her, instead pulling out her phone to toy with the picture she'd taken of their class schedule, checking it against her map to see where they would need to go after the first class period.

No one approached her before the teacher showed up to unlock the classroom, and whether that was because she looked busy or because she was as standoffish as her best (if not only) friend apparently thought she was, Fallon didn't know. She definitely cared, though, and pushed that to the back of her mind in an attempt at maintaining her cool composure. It seemed likely that each of the students in their year would have classes together all day, and she needed to avoid anyone suspecting any lack of confidence.

Much to Fallon's amazement and enjoyment, the blonde girl wasn't in their class. So if her theory was correct, the other girl wasn't in their year. Fallon made it her mission straight away to figure out when she, Jack and the other girl would cross paths during the day. Maybe Monica was right, but Fallon had been doing just fine before Alexis left. She didn't need a litany of friends. She needed power, especially when she was feeling so vulnerable, and had somehow allowed herself to start thinking the change in family dynamic was her fault.

But nothing about the way she behaved in school could have affected that. And it was easier to be cold and alone than soft and in pain. She knew that now more than ever.

Once inside, Fallon wasn't about to wait for someone to point her to a seat. She wanted to be middle and center – close enough that she wouldn't get distracted, but not far enough forward that she couldn't keep an eye on most of the class. And she definitely didn't want to look like a teacher's pet on the first day, in her first class. So she walked straight over to the centermost set of two seats, and sat down without hesitation.

Much to her surprise, admittedly, no one said anything about it. Instead, it was as if the seat had been empty all along. Rather, it seemed like the whole table had been empty. When she looked up, Monica and Jeff had taken the front left table. So for a long while, she sat without a table partner. When she saw a boy reach forward to tap on Jeff's shoulders to greet them, and nobody did the same for her, Fallon frowned and dropped her attention back to organizing her book and notebook paper.

A bag dropped down onto the table next to her, making Fallon's chin whip up and towards the sound. Jack sank into the seat next to her, not making eye contact until he realized she was staring at him curiously.

"Hey," he greeted, nonchalant as anything.

Fallon turned in her seat, her head tilting as a slight smile pulled at her lips. "I didn't steal your seat, did I?"

"No," he shook his head. "You stole Sam's." Jack pointed to the boy who was mid-conversation with Monica and Jeff, so Fallon just shrugged.

"He looks happy enough to be where he is," she chirped. "The better question, is why you didn't move to sit with your friend."

Jack locked his gaze with hers, and though he hesitated, he laid it out for her. "You looked lonely."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, and she sat further back in her chair. She just looked at him for a second, before turning forward sharply, affronted and a little surprised that he'd bothered to notice enough about her when nobody else had. The class started before either of them worked up to saying anything else, and they were entirely quiet and focused until they were halfway through a page of example questions that the teacher had assigned them to work on with their table partners.

Jack leaned over to peer at Fallon's page, which she took immediately as him trying to cheat. Her arm shot out to block her answers as she looked up at him, making him laugh. "What are you doing?" She asked seriously, unable to get a handle on the kind of person this guy was.

"We're supposed to be working together. I was just seeing if you'd gotten to question seven yet. I don't think I'm doing it right."

"...Oh," she murmured. His response, a smile, made her believe that he took it for the apology that it secretly was. So Fallon leaned towards him, eyeing his work and quickly pointing out where he went wrong in the order of the conjectures he had referenced on the geometry problem in question. "You have to reverse these in order to account for everything. The one you have first right now negates part of the one you put second."

He looked from her to the question and back again. "You knew that from just a glance?"

Fallon tilted her head slightly. "I'm good with numbers, I guess."

Jack started to ask her something but the teacher called out that it was time to switch classes, so they started packing up their things. Just as Fallon stood to leave, he reached over a stopped her with a light touch on her upper arm.

"Hmm?"

"Would you go over this with me later? I did okay on the midterm, but not as well as I expected to."

Fallon was surprised, and nearly asked if she would get him in trouble for doing so, but on the other hand, she did like teaching. It made her feel clever and on top of things, and perhaps – to Monica's point – helping this guy would win her an actual friend. She'd always been better at making friends with guys, anyway, so it wouldn't be so surprising.

"Sure. We just have the rest of these due tomorrow, so if you want, I could show you at dinner. Or, after. Whatever works best."

Jack nodded. "After works. There's a library-" he reached over, pointing at her map, "-here. It's open all the time in case of exams or whatever, so we can grab a table there."

Fallon agreed easily, keeping the map out as she stepped around the table to head to their next class. "I'd say I'll see you later," she joked, "but I get the feeling that we're all in the same classes."

"Mostly," he shrugged. "Depends on which electives you picked."

"Ah.."

"You have Chemistry next?" He waited for her to confirm before gesturing towards the door. "C'mon, then. I'll show you the way."

When they made it out into the hall, Jeff and Monica were seemingly waiting on her. Perhaps they had forgiven her for whatever she'd done – not that Fallon wanted to acknowledge that she knew why they were upset. But they looked so shocked to see her mid-conversation with Jack about their chemistry teacher that they just watched for a moment before following a little ways behind them.

* * *

Their next teacher assigned partners, and rather than break up groups that had been in place all year, she put all three - Monica, Jeff and Fallon - together. And for the rest of the day, they went about their usual business, splitting up occasionally when their classes didn't match up. But really, the classes themselves were quite good in Fallon's opinion. The teachers seemed like they had more answers than her previous ones, so despite the fact that she was trapped there because of her parents, she supposed that things could've been a little worse.

Fallon saw Jack a couple more times during the day, but made a point of acting entirely casual. She wanted him to dump that other girl, not to get together with her. Although, Fallon supposed as the day went on, perhaps it would be an even bigger win if she won this guy over on purpose.

First things first, though – she had to do well in her classes to ensure that she got into her dream business school program in college. Otherwise everything else would be a waste. Blake may have pushed everybody away, but Fallon didn't have a backup plan beyond running her own business. And perhaps, if she showed her father that she could be an asset, he would let them come back home.

So she was right, then, to just affirm her dominance, but not to get attached. Even if Jack was nice, despite how she'd acted towards everyone so far.

After classes, Fallon made quick work of the questions that Jack had asked her to go over with him, before turning to the courses that she and Monica shared, thinking it would help to do them at the same time. Indeed, the pair of them were very efficient, and more than that, they were very good at delegating different subjects so that whomever was stronger in one wouldn't be the one doing most of the work. It sounded counterintuitive, according to Steven, but it meant that the stronger one could look it over and make corrections, thus helping the one who needed more work on that subject.

They hadn't finished everything by dinner, but then again, the assignments were not all due the following day, as some were more project-length types. So they all headed downstairs in what could almost be called good spirits, though every now and then, the Carrington children would zone out as the pain wandered back in.

The group of four sat alone again, though they sort of expected to. Jeff shook his head at Fallon when she commented on the makeup of the other tables, which were predictably separated into cliques.

"You're the one that made us stand out like this," Jeff told her, serious and angry.

Fallon's eyebrows lifted in surprise, feeling both hurt and angry in return. "I was trying to help."

"No," he retorted sharply, "you've made us outcasts. You just can't keep your mouth shut, can you?"

Steven muttered something under his breath that earned the curious gazes of the other three. He looked up, embarrassed, but repeated himself when their attention didn't fade. "I said that you two didn't have to come with us."

Fallon was almost impressed by her brother's gusto, but tilted her head, looking at Jeff again with a superior sort of smile. "Exactly. I've always been like this, so if you didn't want to deal with that, you should've stayed home."

And she pushed away from the table, snatched up her things, and stormed off, only to realize that she didn't know where she was going. She didn't slow, but a couple of things occurred to her.

One, she was running away like her mother would have. And she hated that.

Two, she'd just alienated her only friends – or, so-called friends. And Steven hadn't followed her.

And three, she didn't have anybody else to sit with. For dinner, or any other meals; and she was stuck with the Colbys in that chemistry class for the rest of the semester. Not to mention rooming with Monica, if Jeff's sister agreed with him.

She felt like ruining this whole thing on the first day was sort of on brand, admittedly, but she was Fallon Carrington. She would find a way to fix it. So she walked over to an empty table, trying to ignore both the irony and the symbolism that the chairs around her suggested, and just got back to work on her assignments as she finished her meal alone.


	4. 4: Swear This One You'll Save

**Sorry about the super-long delay. I had a really firm idea about my other fic that I wanted to wrap up. I'm going to be doing a sort of rotating schedule if I can for this one, and my new ideas. :)**

* * *

Jack walked into the library a few minutes after Fallon selected a spot near the front of the room, where she thought he could easily spot her. Moreover, anybody else who came in would see them together, which would be ideal. Jeff's reaction to her behavior aside, she wasn't backing down. And maybe, if she was careful about it, she could somehow manage to keep Jack as an actual friend.

Or she'd find herself with nobody, except maybe Steven. Maybe.

She looked up as he approached, already prepped with her notebook, pencil and completed assignment. Fallon couldn't read the look on his face, and that frustrated her deeply. She'd expected some casually friendly smile, but that isn't what she got. Perhaps he'd told his girlfriend where he was headed and she hadn't taken it well? Fallon didn't want to believe that he'd noticed her little fight at dinner, because that would mean that the look in his eyes was one of pity or, even worse, disappointment.

She felt quite certain, once the thought came to her, that it was an 'all of the above' sort of situation. But at least he'd shown up.

Jack sank into the seat next to her, quiet as he pulled out his things. Fallon couldn't stand it.

"Wow, if I thought you'd be so annoyed to be here, I would've said no when you asked."

He looked over at her in surprise. "I'm not," he claimed. "Otherwise I wouldn't have asked."

Fallon lifted an eyebrow at him. "Then what's with that face?"

"Nothing," Jack told her firmly.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, unable to place the emotion that lingered on his face. Rather than question it again and make things that much more uncomfortable, she just waited as he organized everything in front of him. The front of his binder had what Fallon thought was some kind of acronym: JLRL. But that didn't sound like anything she'd ever heard before.

He looked over and caught her frowning at it. "My initials."

"What?"

Jack pointed at the letters. "They're my initials?"

She let out a soft _hmm_, but didn't ask. She didn't want to seem to interested, after all, since she wasn't actually. And if he told her, she'd have to remember it, and that would just be a whole other thing to worry about. So instead, Fallon turned towards him and got down to business.

"Okay. Do the next question," she told him.

He looked a little surprised by the way she jumped into it, but he did as she asked, looking back and forth between his notes and the question. After a few moments of watching him do that, she reached over and stole his notes, hiding them beneath her notebook.

"Hey!"

"What?" She asked, feigning innocence.

Jack stared at her for a brief moment, confused, before he pointed at the notebook. "Give them back."

"You won't have them on the test," Fallon pointed out, shrugging.

He almost laughed at that, shaking his head at her. "Yeah, that's what the homework is for. Learning them. I don't have them memorized yet."

"Are you bad at History, too?" She asked, genuinely teasing. "Memorizing this is just like memorizing dates and names."

Judging by the look on his face, she determined that he didn't like that comment too much. Rather than fighting him and ruining her plan, Fallon rolled her eyes and passed him his notes back.

"Thanks," he muttered, sarcasm sneaking in.

Fallon kept quiet after that, waiting for him to finish. But when he did, he looked even more confused than before. She leaned over to look it over, trying very hard not to show any reaction on her face that time. Which, frankly, was odd. Usually, she wouldn't care if someone was offended by her. Fallon reminded herself that she was doing this to mess with his girlfriend. That was the only reason. Obviously.

"You seem to just pick whichever conjecture you see first," she mused after a moment. And as soon as she said it, she recognized the irony that she could have pointed out if she wanted to bother him: Maybe that girl of his was just selected by proximity. Not that Fallon had proof, of course. "You have to go through and make sure you pick the right ones at the right time, otherwise they'll cancel each other out and your work is all for nothing."

Fallon would've smirked at her own words if he weren't looking at her. The way she handled numbers was the same way she handled every aspect of her life.

"That makes sense," he agreed after a moment, looking through his list.

"It would take some time, but you could also organize them by what they don't pair well with, or what they do. I find it easier to just have it in my head, but maybe seeing it would help." She let her elbow rest atop the table, her chin dropping into her palm as she looked over at him. "You strike me as someone who's sort of hands-on. In terms of learning but also just, in life. You could've shied away when I was talking to your girlfriend yesterday. Or just pulled her aside."

Jack shrugged, leaning back in his chair to return her gaze. "I don't see a point in letter arguments like that fester."

Fallon cracked a smile, unwilling to be the first to break their eye contact. Still, "Maybe I'm just used to ones like that. Otherwise I might not find them so... simple. Normal."

"I'm kind of amazed you're telling me any of this," he said.

Fallon sat up straight again, immediately looking away. "Yeah, well... Nobody's here to overhear me, and even if you said anything, nobody would believe you. Besides, I've only admitted that I get into fights a lot, right? I'm pretty sure most people here already expect it of me."

She turned back to their assignment, quickly copying over her work to a spare piece of paper so he wouldn't be able to sneak a look at her answer for the one after that.

"It didn't sound like you meant that you were the one involved in those."

Fallon looked up at him again, her expression now completely closed off and cold. "I'm not sure it matters how I meant it. I clearly shouldn't have said it." She passed him the paper, effectively shutting down the discussion about it.

He focused in on the assignment again, making some sort of notation throughout his conjecture list that Fallon didn't actually understand. But it seemed like he did, because when he did the next question, he still took a while but got it right, which Fallon decided she was going to take at least partial credit for. And an hour later, he'd finished the assignment and was packing up his things to leave.

When Fallon didn't do the same, he gave her a strange look.

"You have other stuff due tomorrow?" Jack questioned. It would be strange, she could admit, considering it was only their first day of class.

"No." She said it simply, as if she thought he would leave it alone. Of course he wouldn't. He opened his mouth so she explained before he could make her feel more awkward about it. "What? You said it was a twenty-four hour library. Maybe I just don't want to go back to my room, yet."

He seemed to consider saying something but stopped himself. Instead, he grabbed his backpack, which she noticed also had those initials on them. Perhaps if he hadn't irked her so much she would've asked what they meant.

* * *

Fallon finally found her way back to her and Monica's room a couple hours later, having gotten in a bit of time on her laptop, which she'd left in her bag until Jack left. She didn't want him to see what she was doing a search for on her internet browser.

She needed to know what her parents were up to. Nothing had hit the news, yet, it seemed. Nothing except a deal her father had made with an Atlanta business. After she packed up and started walking back, she stared out at the snow-covered paths of their grounds, and she decided upon seeing it that she hated New York. She'd been there before, but this wasn't Manhattan, or even Astoria. This was the middle of nowhere, and it certainly wasn't Atlanta.

She missed home already, and hated the cold now, when she hadn't before. It made her put on fluffier pajamas than she perhaps needed, and it was lucky, she thought, that Monica was already asleep when she made it back to the room. Or she was at least pretending to be, anyway. And she bundled herself up in her blankets after getting ready for bed, burrowing into her pillow.

Although she had never been the sort of girl to want her parents to tuck her in, suddenly Fallon wished for that. Or at least for the idea of it, as it seemed unlikely that it would ever happen for her, now. Much to her own surprise, she sniffled back the tears that attempted to escape, and just dug further into the bed to try and force herself to fall asleep.

Fallon's alarm was set to wake her even earlier than usual, and she was grateful for it because it gave her extra time to hide the puffiness around her eyes. She still left before Monica was up and about, and used that time to go outside just enough to get some fresh air. She didn't want to go very far or have to tromp through the snow, but it almost felt like she was somewhere else for a moment.

She didn't like avoiding Monica, but Fallon had to admit that she was pretty good at it.

When it came time to head to the cafeteria for breakfast, Fallon wanted to just groan and skip it completely. But then she'd be hungry during Math, and undoubtedly more snarky than usual. And she didn't really want to be that way around Jack. Things were already awkward enough, because even if he'd dropped the subject, her slip up had already been registered.

Giving in, she walked back inside and made her way to the cafeteria. She didn't expect to find Steven waiting for her, but it made sense once she saw him there. It brought a small smile to her face, allowing Fallon to put on a properly confident expression like she normally did. He draped an arm around her shoulder, hugging her to his side for a moment, before they headed over to select their breakfast.

When they looked around for a table, Steven pointed over at an empty one. "C'mon. Jeff woke up late, said he wanted to grab a shower before coming down. We can save seats for him and Monica." He looked to her in confusion. "Where is she, anyway?"

"Not sure," Fallon replied quickly, shrugging. "I left before her."

So the Carrington siblings sat down, and a little while later, Jeff did indeed come over to sit with them. But he didn't know where Monica was, either. It wasn't until nearly the end of breakfast that Fallon caught sight of her.

"You've gotta be kidding me," she muttered, drawing the boys' attention away from their discussion of the school's sports clubs.

"What?" Jeff asked, his mood and tone that morning suggesting that he was trying not to start another fight.

"Monica. She's sitting with that girl."

"Ashley?" Steven asked, turning around to look at her.

Fallon frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

Steven looked a little guilty, but shrugged. "Ashley Cunningham. She's in my year. You meant her, right? Jack's girlfriend?"

A dark scowl twisted Fallon's face for a moment, but she faked a nonchalant shrug when Jeff looked at her again. Of course she didn't want him to know how betrayed she felt. Not when it meant that she was already scheming.


	5. 5: And Way Down We Go

**Please forgive me for taking a billion years to post. New jobs, crazy deadlines. Lots of bad excuses, but here it is! It's been a long time since I've written teenage characters, so I am both sort of surprised and also very glad that people are enjoying the read. Here you go!**

* * *

Fallon stood outside the door to their math class, acting casual as if she were waiting for Monica. But she was surprised by the approach of the guy Jack had called Sam, who came up in front of her with the widest smile she'd ever seen.

"Fallon, right?"

She nodded almost dumbly, taken aback by him.

"I'm Sammy-Jo," he said, sticking his hand out. Fallon shook his hand before drawing that arm back and wrapping it around her stomach. "You and your friends are from down south?"

"Yeah. The Colbys came with my brother and I. But Steven's a year older."

Sam nodded, a curious sort of smile curving his lips. "Right. I noticed him eating with you."

Fallon tilted her head slightly in interest, wondering just how much notice had been coming from Sam. Steven would likely be disappointed that he'd missed it, if Fallon was reading this guy correctly. Sam was certainly handsome and charming, so she smiled. "You probably already have people you usually hang out with, but I'm sure he'd be happy to have you join us."

Sam's smirk told Fallon that she was right about him, and it made her smile back. Even if Sam's interest went unrequited, he seemed genuine, which was something Fallon felt they could all do with more of.

He started to agree, but that was when Fallon caught sight of Monica at the other end of the hallway, heading towards them. Fallon turned, pressing her back against the wall so she could change her line of sight and act like she hadn't noticed the other girl. In doing so, she came face-to-face with Jack as he walked over to join them.

"Hey," Sam greeted him brightly. "I was just meeting your new desk-mate."

"Yeah, you made a mistake by moving desks, man," Jack told him, a teasing grin on his face. "Fallon knows her stuff."

Fallon attempted to look pleasantly embarrassed, but she had no doubt that she looked more proud than anything else.

"Then you're welcome!" Sam laughed.

Monica came up alongside them, tapping Jeff on the shoulder to pull himself out of the cellphone he'd been playing with. Fallon eyed them curiously but just kept the easy smile on her face as their teacher came up and unlocked the classroom door to let them in.

After they turned in their assignments and got settled into the day's lesson, Fallon managed to forget about Monica for the time being. Until, that is, the teacher asked a question and both girls raised their hand at the same time. Monica was noticed first, and gave the correct answer. Fallon was prepared to brush it off, but then Monica turned around to level Fallon with one of the Carrington girl's own practically-patented looks of superiority. And that changed things.

Their teacher missed the look, but Jack clearly didn't, because Fallon felt his eyes burning into her. And why wouldn't he be surprised? She and Monica were supposed to be friends. Yet just days into their new living situation, things had gone downhill. Why Fallon had thought this would work out was absolutely beyond her, now.

Jack nudged her notebook with the eraser on his pencil, seemingly asking if she was okay. She just nodded slightly, forcing her expression to become more neutral. She would just talk to Monica in Chemistry, she decided.

* * *

Jack and Sam walked with Fallon to their next class, and they followed Jeff and Monica downstairs to get there. Fallon had to admit, she enjoyed talking to the two guys. They seemed nice despite the awkwardness with Jack before. But then, she sort of figured that he and her were on their best behavior because of that.

If she hadn't been vying for a chance to ruin Ashley, she wouldn't have bothered. Or that's what she told herself, anyway. Would it really hurt, though, to befriend this guy? Maybe not.

Jack started digging through his bag as they walked, suddenly worrying that he'd left his textbook in his room. It was about that moment that Fallon caught sight of his girlfriend, standing outside the classroom and talking to Monica. Fallon smirked slightly, but stopped, surprising the boys into doing the same.

"I'm so glad I met you two," she told them, her hand reaching out to Jack's arm as she smiled at Sam and then Jack. They both smiled back, but Fallon let hers linger on the object of her scheming for a touch too long.

Ashley cleared her throat loudly, stomping up to them and dropping her arms to her hips. She frowned deeply at them, as if that would somehow do anything. Fallon just turned her head, rather than pulling her hand away. But Jack stepped forward to greet her, looking (or pretending to be, perhaps) oblivious to her disapproval.

"Hey," he said, smile still firmly on his face. He stiffened in surprise when Ashley pulled him into a kiss, which lingered long enough for Sam to scoff.

Fallon glanced his way, smirking. She wasn't the only one that hated this girl? All the better. Sam just rolled his eyes and walked past them, into the classroom.

Fallon started to do the same, shaking her head as Ashley pulled away and made particularly threatening eye contact. Fallon lifted an eyebrow, undaunted, and went to her assigned station, immediately turning to Monica, on the offensive.

"You're friends with a girl like that? Seriously?"

"She's not so different from you, actually."

Eyes narrowed, Fallon took a beat to think that one through. "So, we're the same, but whenever she behaves badly it's fine. And when I do, that's grounds to jump ship and befriend someone who was terrible to both of us?"

"Maybe she apologizes for her mistakes. I'm not the one who disappeared and avoided my roommate."

Fallon looked away, rolling her eyes like Monica was imagining things. But then Monica said something a little too loudly:

"I heard how upset you were last night."

Jack and Sam looked over from their nearby tables, and Jeff dropped his face into his hands, obviously wishing he'd been assigned to any other group or class. Anything but being stuck with his sister and her apparent frenemy.

Fallon cleared her throat. "I don't see how that's relevant to any of this."

"A friend would've come to me with something like that."

Monica crossed her arms, but Fallon was done being put on display like that. So what if she deserved it? A real friend, to throw Monica's framing back at her, wouldn't have done this in public. It wasn't like Fallon would ever acknowledge that being spoken to about it in private probably wouldn't have helped, either. But this felt like far more of a betrayal than just avoiding someone. Avoiding meant that they weren't going to fight, and no matter her claims to Jack, she never looked forward to fights. She had just seen a hell of a lot of them in her life.

"... Well." Fallon lifted her chin, stepping around to sit on the far side of Jeff instead. "Then maybe we're not the sort of friends I thought we were."

Sam tried to talk to Fallon at the end of class, but she brushed past him, storming off to her next class. For the rest of the day, she refused to talk to anyone she didn't have to – especially after catching sight of Monica and Ashley talking about her at lunch. She knew they were, of course, because Monica said something, Ashley looked Fallon's way, and then turned back to Monica to reply, a positively wicked smirk on her face.

That in mind, Fallon was entirely unsurprised when she was cornered by Ashley and her friends at dinner. She was sitting with Steven and Sam, who were in the midst of a conversation that seemed interesting. Or, it would have, if Fallon had actually been listening.

Her head whipped up when she noticed the blonde girl walking over to stand a couple feet away from Fallon's chair.

"So," Ashley began snidely, "how long is it going to take before you realize that Jack isn't interested?"

Fallon's eyebrow lifted and Steven's reaction was telling: he knew full well that this wasn't going to go well. "Are you concerned?" Fallon asked, tilting her head.

"Hardly. I just think it's inappropriate for you to harass a fellow student, new to this school or not."

Fallon scoffed, pushing her chair back to face the other girl. "Oh please. He's the one who asked for my help in class. He sat next to me. If you're mad at anyone, it shouldn't be me."

"Maybe I would believe you if your so-called friend, Monica, hadn't told us what you're really like," Ashley retorted. "Maybe you and your brother should go back home to where everything works in your favor. Oh, no wait. You can't."

Steven's hands clenched the sides of his seat and Sam stared at the two girls as Fallon slowly stood up to square off with her.

"If Monica told you everything, then you would know that you do not want to make an enemy of me," Fallon warned, her voice even – and all the more threatening because of that.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "I can't even begin to imagine what the rest of your family is like, if you were raised like this."

Fallon took a step forward, entirely ready to get into a full-on fight with her. But Steven and Sam launched themselves from their chairs to stop her. "How dare you," Fallon spat. "Don't you talk about my family."

"No? Then let's talk about you, and why you two moved up here. I heard your mother left, and if I had to guess, I'd say it's pretty likely that she did so because you're such a disgrace."

"Excuse me?!" Fallon and Steven both burst out in surprise.

"I mean, come on," Ashley drawled, lifting her hands in a dramatic shrug. "What father kicks his own children out after something like that, as if it's their fault? And let's be honest. We all know it couldn't be Steven's fault. He isn't a spiteful, narcissistic witch."

Fallon yanked against her brother and new friend, desperate to get her hands on Ashley's horrible, obviously-fake blonde hair. It was only then that Fallon realized Jack was running their way from across the cafeteria, and that Monica was staring at them, aghast.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, stepping between the calm and proud Ashley, and the raging Carringtons.

"Nothing," Steven ground out, pulling Fallon away with Sam's help.

Despite herself, Fallon couldn't help but just stare at them, hurt by his inability to step up and chide his girlfriend for her behavior. But she hid that pain well, as far as she knew. As they reached the door, she turned away, reaching up with one hand to brush her cheek.

* * *

Steven and Sam had to actually lock the door of Steven's dorm room to keep Fallon from storming back out and tearing into Ashley. "Fallon," Steven said firmly, standing between her an the door. "It's okay. She clearly doesn't know what she's talking about. She just wants you to react. Okay?"

"No, clearly she does know," Fallon snapped, pulling away from him. "Because Monica told her."

Her eyes darted over to Sam, realizing that everything was suddenly out in the open for him. But at this point, it seemed like everyone knew everything – even the parts Fallon had only secretly thought. But heck, if other people thought the same thing, maybe she had been right all along.

No. No, as soon as she let herself think something like that, she knew it would be her demise. It would settle and plant itself inside her and she would never be able to uproot it. And that, frankly, was unacceptable. She needed to get a grip, and once she did, Ashley was going all the way down. And Monica was the next one in line after her.


End file.
